Colin Men’s Shed have been using their talents to build toolboxes to be sent to apprentice carpenters in the Artisan Vocational Training centre in the Njombe region Tanzania to develop their career prospects.
This forms part of the Njombe project set up by Northern Ireland based not-for -profit organisation, Tools For Solidarity in response to an increasing demand in Njombe and neighbouring regions for high-quality second-hand tools for carpentry, blacksmithing, building and furniture making.
The focus of the project is to provide the necessary resources and skills for artisans and groups to improve their income generation capacity and to meet the challenges that they face in running small enterprises. The project targets those people within the community who face extra barriers to income generation which includes women, youth, vocational training centres (VTC) and people with disabilities.
The role of Colin Men’s Shed in the project involved sourcing the wood and the handmaking of ten toolboxes. Umberto Scappaticci, manager of the Men’s Shed in Colin Neighbourhood Partnership commented “We were delighted to be involved in this sustainability project with Tools For Solidarity. This is such a worthwhile activity and will prove much-needed support to artisans in the Njombe region.”
Emily Brough, Training Coordinator/Volunteer Support, Colin Neighbourhood Partnership added “It’s great to see volunteers from the local community contributing their time and skills to support communities in other parts of the world. If you are interested in finding out more about volunteering opportunities with CNP, contact Emily at emily@newcolin.com or phone 028 9062 3813.”
